


White Camellias and Daffodils, Gardenias and Jonquils Too

by hufflepuff_true



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: AO3 1 Million, Battle of Five Armies Fix-It, Language of Flowers, M/M, More tags later, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-16
Updated: 2014-02-16
Packaged: 2018-01-12 15:17:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1189950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hufflepuff_true/pseuds/hufflepuff_true
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bilbo confesses his love to Thorin with flowers. Good thing Legolas is there or it would have gone right over his head! </p><p>To celebrate 1 million fanworks on AO3!</p>
            </blockquote>





	White Camellias and Daffodils, Gardenias and Jonquils Too

**Author's Note:**

> So, in this story I ignore where these flowers grow and when they bloom. I figured you wouldn't mind. In depth analysis at the bottom for the choices but there's major spoilers so don't look ahead. ;)

Thorin stepped out onto the garden terrace late in the morning. The sun was shining and the weather was mild. Spring had well and truly come to the mountain.

Bilbo was kneeling in one of the flower beds, weeding and up to his elbows in dirt. Thorin watched him for a moment. It was oddly soothing to watch their former burglar at his craft. At first the king hadn’t understood why Bilbo had wanted a garden or why one was so important to him, but craft was important to all Dwarves. He’d just never thought of gardening as a craft before.

There was beauty in this, watching muscles pull and work. The small smile that graced the Halfling’s face as he tended to the fragile flowers and the grim determination when he found a weed that resisted pulling. It was almost entrancing…

The Hobbit noticed him standing by the doors and brushed off his hands and rose to greet him, “Thorin! What can I do for you?”

“The delegation from Mirkwood was spotted. It wouldn’t do for their Council representative to be late meeting them.”

“Oh, dear!” with that Bilbo grabbed a pair of shears and bustled over to a couple of different plants, clipping off a few white flowers from each. He tied them carefully together with some soft twine.

Thorin thought nothing of it and simply held them when asked while the other man changed out of his garden soiled clothes. The Elves seemed to like them, anyway, when Bilbo had bowed and greeted them with the flowers.

In fact, they were much warmer and their polite words were no longer so forced after receiving that bouquet.

The next morning, Bilbo brought a nosegay to breakfast with him. The Elves and Dwarves alike watched in interest as Bilbo casually handed it to Thorin. He looked at the small bouquet of fragrant, heavy white blossoms in surprise. Bilbo had never given him (or any of the company) flowers before. Thorin thanked him and smiled when Bilbo blushed. He didn’t think much of it after that.

Later, as he was walking the hallways towards his chamber he was joined by a tall, fair-haired elf. One of Thranduil’s children, Legolas, if he wasn’t mistaken.

“Are you going to respond?” The question threw the king off. Respond to what? He asked as much.

The other man looked shocked, “So that’s why he was so bold this morning. Do you not know of the language of flowers?”

Thorin shook his head slowly. The elf sighed and looked torn before asking another odd question: “Do you have feelings for him?” The king spluttered and coughed, before informing the impudent elf that was none of his concern.

“So you do,” the Legolas smiled, “What you hold in your hands is a bouquet of Gardenias, white ones at that. They symbolize pure, yet secret love. And he knows that you hadn’t a clue what they meant or he would never have been so brazen as to offer them to you at breakfast with everyone there to see.”

“Are you sure that he knows what they mean?” Thorin was hesitant to hope. Could Bilbo really…

“He gave my people a bouquet of white Camellias and Daffodils. One doesn’t give such a message without knowing what he is saying.” And with that he left the Dwarf to his thoughts.

Bilbo loved him. He would have never imagined, after everything bad that had passed between them, that Bilbo Baggins would have ever loved him in return. It was enough to that the Hobbit was his friend and had stayed in Erebor! But to return those feelings that Thorin held…

Thorin Oakensheild stood there alone in front of his door for the longest time, thinking.

  
The next day, Thorin went looking for the Elf again. He found him sitting outside on the terrace, reading a book by sunlight. The king sat on the other end of the bench, nonchalantly gazing about the garden. It really was beautiful.

“If I should return his gesture in kind, how would I go about it?” The other arched a brow at this before closing his book. He stepped lightly about, stopping at one plant or another to inspect it. Finally he returned to a yellow flower that looked similar to the one that Bilbo had given the Elves.

“This is a Jonquil. The color is not as preferable, but I doubt that he will be paying attention to that once he realizes what flower you’ve given him. Jonquils speak of returned affection and a desire for it. White ones would be better, but this one says precisely what you want. There is no way for him to mistake the message.”

The flowers seemed like fragile, unassuming things for such a heavy message. But he didn’t think that Legolas would lead him wrong, strangely enough. The man pulled a small dagger from his waist and leaned over whispered quaint elvish as he sliced six flowers the plant. Thorin looked at him in askance, why six? The other just smirked in reply.

“Go and give this two him. In front of witnesses would be preferable.” Thorin wasn’t sure why that was important but he didn’t question it.

He found Bilbo with several Elves and Dwarves, touring the crafting areas. The king waited until they were done speaking before making himself known. The Hobbit smiled at him which strengthened his resolve. He greeted the others while handing the flowers to Bilbo at the same time. It cover his friend’s speechlessness well.

They walked along for a ways, the Dwarves boasting about the crafts and the Elves looking between the king and Hobbit curiously. Together the two companions gradually slowed until they were walking at the back of the group.

“Do you truly?” murmured Bilbo. Thorin looked at him out of the corner of his eye to see him lightly brushing his finger against the bright petals wonderingly.  
“I would not have asked an Elf for help if I did not… Just to be sure: what do they mean?”

Bilbo smiled up at him, “Jonquils mean that you return my affection or that you ask for it.” Thorin smiled with relief. So he’d been right to trust the Elf.

The king leaned over and pressed a chaste kiss to the corner of his Hobbit’s mouth. Bilbo blushed and linked their hands together before catching them up to the others. There would be time for other things later.

 

**Author's Note:**

> The bouquet that Bilbo gives the Elves at the beginning is made up of white Camellias and white Daffodils. The first of which symbolizes admiration, the second respect. Both are white which is a color that implies fairness, neutrality, impartiality, and openness. The yellow at the center of the Daffodil promotes good communication and optimism. 
> 
> It's basically saying: We admire and respect you. Lets go into these meetings with fair and open minds. May we communicate well and hope for the best. 
> 
> I wanted to use color meanings too, so I don't have a busy bouquet that might not look right in real life. 
> 
> Gardenias do mean secret love, but they come in yellow and white. By choosing white Bilbo is saying that his love is pure. 
> 
> Jonquils have a very straight forward message: I return your affection and desire it. The reason Legolas gave Thorin a bouquet of exactly six flowers is because that number symbolizes infatuation, on top of the meaning. 
> 
> Jonquils come in white too, but then they look pretty much like Daffodils and Narcissus flowers.


End file.
